What a wonderful recording to listen to on a rainy day. I was looking for 10-30-80 Dead, and found this by accident. Great to hear early versions of Touch Of Grey and Day Job. Not only did I not know this show existed, but I lived a mile away when it happened, and had been to my first Dead show only 2 weeks before. Thank you Archive.

The opening to "Cruel White Water" is actually a modified version of "Heart Of Glass" by Blondie, which had topped the charts (#1 on Billboard in the US and UK) the previous year.
St. Michael's Alley had been downtown Palo Alto's first "Beatnik" Cafe, opening in 1958, located at 436 University (now a Peet's Coffee). At various times, the likes of Joan Baez (already famous) and Jerry Garcia hung out there (not famous), not least because there was nowhere else to get an espresso. Somewhere in the early 1960s, Robert Hunter had a job there as a dishwasher.
After an unfortunate pot bust in 1964, business declined. The cafe did present music, and even auditioned the Warlocks in 1965, but they flunked and weren't hired. The cafe closed in 1966.
In 1973, St. Michael's Alley re-opened a few blocks away (at 800 Emerson), this time as a more upscale restaurant, a role in which it was quite successful. The patrons were largely the same people as before, but by this time they were doctors or programmers instead of penniless graduate students.
The "new" St. Michael's Alley had the same entertainment policy as the old one, with occasional varied acoustic music (folk, jazz, classical). Hunter's relaxed attitude must stem from the fact that although the venue was different, he was still friendly with the owner and clearly with some of the audience.
The "new" St. Michael's Alley closed about 1994, although it has since opened yet again on Homer Avenue. I do not know if the original owner (Vernon Gates) is still involved.